How Many Years Can Jogging Add to Your Life?

Want to live longer? Then start jogging. While that might seem like a chore, there’s even better news. You only need to jog a little bit to extend your time on earth.

A Danish study suggests that regular jogging could add approximately six years to your life.

Peter Schnohr, chief cardiologist of the long-term Copenhagen City Heart Study, said, “We can say with certainty that regular jogging increases longevity. The good news is that you don’t actually need to do that much to reap the benefits.”

The study, which looked at 20,000 people between ages 20 and 93 over 35 years, compared the mortality rates of joggers versus non-joggers.

Through the course of the research, 10,158 non-joggers died, while 122 joggers died. A total of 1,115 male joggers and 763 female joggers were polled on how fast and how long they jog per week. The researchers found that male joggers can extend their life by 6.2 years, while women can do the same 5.6 years.

A slow jog for one-to-two-and-a-half hours weekly proved beneficial to health on both physical and psychological levels. Jogging was also proven to help lower blood pressure and prevent obesity, which are the more obvious benefits.